Our Learning Poster

Week one of homeschool is completed - and I'd say it was a big success. I keep his learning poster out around the house, so Colin sees it often. Every time he catches a glimpse of it, a big smile breaks across his face and he yells excitedly: "School time!" If he's adamant, we play some of the games we learned, or reread one of the theme books.


This is our first learning poster. I've used sheet protector pockets, so that each week I can take out last week's picture and slip in the new one. Then we add the old pictures to Colin's notebook. This book is a place to record the things we do each week. I glue in the pictures he colours, and add the text of the poems we read and the songs we sing. We also write in the letter and number, and Colin adds the corresponding number of stickers (ie: this week he put one stick under the number 1). Can you guess the bible story we read this week? (Hint: the weekly theme was cows...so this picture is of a man sleeping in bed, dreaming of cows...)

Homekeeper Challenge #1

Okay - week one. I did it. Actually, this whole challenge has been quite motivating. That and the spring weather that has finally arrived. I have discovered why "spring cleaning" exists - who would want to tackle such a chore in the dreary months of winter?

Project one - the bathroom cabinet. Perhaps I started with this because of its size (24" x 30" and only two shelves) but really it's because I was fed up with opening the doors and having everything fall out onto me, the toilet and the floor. In it you would find hair products, shaving razors, combs and brushes, cleaning supplies. And a hundred other little odds and ends that seem to find their way into the cabinet.

But no more! I pulled out everything we don't use regularly and tucked them away in my linen closet (which I also tackled this week!) Things may have been "organized" before, but the sheer volume of things in their meant they were so precariously balanced they couldn't help but fall out.

I'm really trying to make do with less. There are so many things I hold onto for the once or twice in a blue moon I might use it. I also hate to throw things away - it feels like such a waste. Not only that, the environmentalist in me doesn't like filling up landfills with all my junk. However, I have accumulated much over the years. The only remedy I see is to do a purge, and then work hard not to accumulate more. It can be done! I know it can!

I thought I'd also share one of my best housekeeping tips with you - my "upstairs/downstairs basket". This is a good-sized basket I keep on the landing of my staircase. As I tidy during the day, this is the place I toss things that need to go upstairs. I acknowledged to myself that I can't keep running things up and down stairs, and the demands of my children mean I don't always have time to put things away as I go. This basket is the perfect place to collect things that need to make their way upstairs. Then when I get a chance, I take the whole basket upstairs and put everything away. This is by far the best housekeeping idea that has worked for me.

What about you? What has been your "lifesaving" housekeeping trick? (I'm thinking if I compile a whole bunch of tricks, I can have the cleanest house on the block!)

Mommy Brain

How many of you out there are suffering from "Mommy Brain"? You know, that natural phenomenon that occurred once you had children, causing you to have little to no memory left? (Colin has a fantastic memory - maybe he got it from me - literally!) In my life, if it's not written on my calendar, it doesn't exist. I have stories of making plans for tomorrow and completely forgetting them then next day! I read somewhere lately that there is actually a medical explanation behind "mommy brain", which gives me a little comfort.

Here's one of my favourite stories about my fading memory (forgive me if I've told this one already!):

I love to read - all kinds of everything. Two years ago I was in the middle of a classics kick, devouring everything from "War and Peace" to "Catcher in the Rye". Upon finishing another book, I wandered into our office to peruse our literary collection for something new. My fingers rested on "Brave New World".

Terri-Ann: Oh! I've been wanting to read this. I heard it was excellent.
James: You read that.
Terri-Ann: I did?
James: Yes, three months ago.
Terri-Ann: Oh....(pause)... Did I like it?
James: You thought it was okay, but it felt like a first draft, and could have used more fine tuning.
Terri-Ann: Hmm. Well then.

I put the book back on the shelf and found "new" that I hadn't "just read".

The gate

Whenever the weather is even remotely manageable, I try to get out for a walk. I bundle Caleb up and sling him into a carrier, then grab the stroller for Colin and off we go. The stroller is more for pushing than riding - Colin very rarely actually gets into the stroller. But it does keep him from running off, and it also works to carry my bag and any treasures we find along the way (today it was pine cones).

Since it matters little to me which way we go, I usually leave it up to Colin. We walk east down our street, turn south for one block, then turn west, and finally turn back north at the retirement residence parking lot entrance. If you've managed to follow along with my directions you may realize we are almost back to our house. In fact, our house looks out onto this parking lot.

This is a trip with a purpose for Colin - to see the gate. Yup - the three of us just stand there, his hand in mine, and watch as the cars go in and out of the parking lot, and the gates go up and down, up and down, up and down. He loves it. The people in their cars love it. They think it's hilarious that a two-year-old finds such joy in such a simple thing. Colin has such patience - he'll just stand and wait until the next car comes in or out. In 20 minutes of watching we might only see a handful of cars, but for him, it's totally worth it. (Note to self - I should try to take him at 5:00 one evening...he'd go crazy with all the cars at quitting time!)

It's a real chore trying to convince him to leave. He just wants to wait for "one more car". the other day I nearly let these words escape my lips: "Colin, we'll come back again another time. The gate will always be here tomorrow."

Sadly, and unbeknown to Colin, one day soon the gate won't be there. We received a notice that they will be building an extension to the residence where the parking lot now is. And as early as this spring, they will likely close the parking lot down for good.

This will be our first "memory" - you know, the type you have when you revisit childhood sites to find them changed, or in some cases, gone. I was shooting a film in a university film class about playgrounds, and lugged all my equipment to a fantastic wooden playground set at my old middle school. I hadn't even bothered to scout the location first to make sure everything was okay. I just assumed in my childhood naivety that something so important to my past would always be there. You can imagine my surprise when I rounded the corner to see nothing but a circle of gravel. My beautiful wooden castle, my mountain to climb, my gym to hang off - it was as though it had never been.

Staying within the lines.

Colin and I were colouring this morning. I had printed out pictures of cows so we each had one. I was fairly proud that I broke the bands of adult confinement in colouring - my cow was yellow with purple spots and orange feet with a pink head and blue horns and a green udder. Colin was attacking his page randomly, and as most 2 year olds, not even seeing the "lines" on the page.

He looked over at my picture with a little disdain. Then he reached over and coloured great big strokes of purple all over my cow. "There. That's better," he proclaimed and went back to his own masterpiece.

It may not have been that it looked better, but I bet it felt better. I then took my own red crayon and scribbled over my paper. You know what? It does feel better!

Earth Hour

Saturday was Earth Hour. Hopefully most of you were at least aware of this event, whether or not you were able to participate. The idea was that between 8pm and 9pm this past Saturday, people around the world turned off their lights. Different events were organized in celebration, like candlelight dinners in restaurants, or evenings outside in the parks. It was all about raising awareness about our carbon footprint on the earth, and doing a little bit more to conserve energy.

James was out of town, but we did our part here. As I put Colin to bed at 8, we talked a little bit about how we can help the earth to feel better. Then, promptly at 8pm, we turned off the light and sang our lullabies in the dark.

After that, I came downstairs, light a beautiful green candle I have that smells of deep forest, and hand cranked my generator radio. For the next hour I nibbled on homemade cookies and listened to the Leaf game in the dim candlelight.

It was amazing to look outside at our street and see nearly all of the houses dark. Even in the apartment building, only three windows were aglow with their overhead lights.

We are by no mean conservation fanatics, but I do try to do the best I can. We have energy saving appliances, we turn the lights off behind us, we walk when we can instead of driving. One goal for me is to get a bike and use it and a backpack for "quick trips" to the store. I am no expert on global warming, climate change, and the like - if the experts can't agree, how am I supposed to figure it all out with my limited knowledge and experience! But I do support the idea of "carbon footprint" - that being the mark I leave on the earth. Whether or not our human lifestyle is destroying the planet (I tend to think yes!), I figure it's always better to keep it as green as we can. We owe a lot to this earth of ours. It's a pretty great and beautiful place to live, and I'd like to keep it that way.

Homekeeper Challenge 2008

In this wild, wonderful world wide web, a whole new community has been created. I have found that has a new mom, I have turned inwards, focusing my time, talents and efforts inside my home rather than out. But an interesting thing has happened...I have been able to meet new people, share insights and ideas and get to know old friends a lot better through the blogging community. Spending even just a few minutes a day allows my mind to escape from these four walls and get a glimpse into the lives of other moms.

Through a long, convoluted path (which I won't go into in detail), I came across a blog entry called "The Homekeeper Challenge 2008". A fellow wife and mom is challenging her peers "to fully dive into your God given role" as a homekeeper. She gives some of her ideas of what a homekeeper is, but more importantly, challenges readers to find out what it means to you personally. The rest of the challenge simply entails working at being the best homekeeper you can be, and to write about your progress each week.

What, then, is my own definition of a homekeeper? I'm not sure yet. I know it would include teaching of my children, supporting my husband, creating an atmosphere of peace, growing personally (in physical, mental and spiritual areas), and keeping my own house a house of order.

In fact, our church scripture has an interesting verse that comes to mind as a perfect definition of what I want my house to be. It is in reference to a temple, which is the House of God. I can't think of a better goal to which I can aspire as a homekeeper:

"Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing, and establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God."

And so I will take up this challenge, and see what it does for me. You're welcome to come along on this journey with me, or perhaps even be inspired to take up the challenge yourself! Either way, sisters unite! Let us rejoice in fulfilling the call we have received as mothers, wives, and homekeepers.